The Missing Piece
by Elle Abel
Summary: She wasn't special like them. She was just a girl who hung around them. She wouldn't be missed by anyone. But she didn't realize that even one person could affect the lives of many others. Oc x ?
1. Prologue

**Me: So I decided to type this story because I miss KnB :((( I can't accept that it's finally over. And I really couldn't help but publish this, so yeah...**

 **Summary:** She wasn't special like them. She was just a girl who hung around them. She wouldn't be missed by anyone. But she didn't realize that even one person could affect the lives of many others.

 **Pairing/s:** Oc x ?

 **Hope you guys come to like this!**

 **.,.,.,.**

 **Prologue**

She was no one special. She was just another face in the crowd – a bystander, who watched as the Generation of Miracles soared to even greater heights.

The Generation of Miracles certainly followed Teiko's motto of being 'ever victorious', but she couldn't help but feel worried. They weren't enjoying themselves. It was as if they only played to win.

Sometimes, she wondered if the smile on her sister's face was fake. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. She couldn't tell. They weren't as close as they were before. Well, they never were close to begin with, but she liked to believe that they were.

Her sister was usually a very cheerful person, the one who brought life to their family. The rest probably couldn't see it, but she could, and she felt hurt. Why wouldn't her sister confide in her what she felt? Was she not reliable enough? Did her sister not trust her?

Impossible.

How stupid she was to think that. Her sister was one of the kindest people she had come to know. Certainly, there was a reason why her sister never told her anything about her problems or burdens.

But if her sister _did_ tell her, she was willing to help.

But the one she felt the most worried about was her sister's childhood friend. What used to be a carefree smile was replaced by a cold, menacing smirk.

She remembered when she used to cook for him out of pity, as she knew that he was always forced to eat her sister's… _unique_ cooking. And then, she started to cook for him all the time.

She remembered when she was stuck with him at a field trip as his partner, since her sister was sick that day. She remembered him shyly taking her hand when she got stuck in a crowd. She remembered warming up to him as they started talking about random things.

She remembered other happy… _fun_ things: eating ice cream with the GOM, having pillow fights with (most of) them in training camps, studying together for tests…

And then she remembered recent memories: how Daiki grew cold, how Seijuuro and Shintaro changed, how Ryota gave up hope, how Atsushi became bored again…

And she remembered Tetsuya, her sister's first love, who tried _so hard_ to get them to love basketball again, but even she, though reluctant, gave up as well.

She started to hate everything related to basketball – the squeaking of the shoes on the court, the swish of the net, the sound of the basketball hitting he floor… She never even touched the basketball the GOM had given her for her birthday, and she had even started to avoid all the nearby basketball courts.

She used to love playing alongside Daiki, even though she lost most of the time (although she knew that her wins weren't really wins since Daiki liked going easy on her).

But, what was the point of playing if you're not having fun?

She then remembered Shuzo-senpai, and how she promised to take care of the GOM after he left for America. She remembered his easygoing smile and him ruffling her hair, jokingly telling her that she had better keep that promise.

Her heart clenched painfully.

What had become of that promise?

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

Shuzo-senpai probably didn't know what had happened. He probably didn't know just how much Teiko had ruined her friends. He probably didn't know that she wasn't able to take care of them… because she wasn't able to do anything to prevent all this from happening.

She shook her head. She had had enough. She wasn't willing to remember anymore.

She stepped inside her new classroom, expecting no one to be there, but she spotted a redhead inside, playing shogi by himself, and another memory rushed back to her.

 _The petite girl ran towards her classroom and opened the door, prepared to apologize to the teacher, only to find a redhead playing shogi on his seat._

" _A-Am I… late?" she panted._

 _His red eyes flickered towards her and a polite but amused smile appeared on his lips. "On the contrary, you're rather early, Momoi-san."_

 _She blinked and glanced at the clock on the wall. 6:05 am, it read._

 _She cursed silently, grumbling as she sat on her seat, which was in front of him. "I'm going to kill her…"_

 _She unpacked her things and brought out a notebook, a pen, and her History book. She started to reread the chapter that they would be discussing in class today. Once she was sure she had memorized all the necessary information, she glanced at the clock again and sighed. Only ten minutes had passed._

 _She then looked at the redhead behind her and found him playing. Only… "Why are you playing by yourself?"_

" _I have no opponent," he replied as he moved a piece on his side._

 _She didn't know what made her ask, but she said, "Can I play with you?"_

 _Surprised showed in the redhead's eyes for a moment before quickly disappearing. "Of course."_

Why didn't Satsuki warn her about this… about _him_? Or maybe Satsuki did some time before, but she wasn't listening to her.

And she regretted not doing so.

She slid over to the seat in front of him, just like before, and asked, "Why are you playing by yourself?"

She was expecting – wanted – to hear the same reply, but –

"There is no one here who could possibly defeat me."

\- she knew it was impossible.

"Can I play with you?"

There was silence, before a ghost of a smile appeared on his face.

"Of course."

 **.,.,.,.**

 **Me: Soooo… that's that. Yup, the OC is Momoi's sister. And, yeah. Hope it went fine.**

 **Review please~**


	2. Teiko Arc 1

**Me: Thank you so much for the reviews (8) and the faves (17) and the follows (25), and this is the only first chapter! I honestly didn't expect this much, so thanks a bunch! (Wow, that rhymes.)**

 **Here is Chapter 1! Hope you all enjoy!**

 **~Teiko Arc~**

 **Chapter 1**

Natsuki grumbled all the way as her sister, Satsuki, dragged her and Daiki along the crowded streets. Really, couldn't the girl just give them a break? The vacation they received never really seemed like a vacation at all. What was a few days compared to the two months other countries had?

This was injustice. Natsuki liked to believe that.

They stopped when the light turned red, cars speeding past. The pink haired sister huffed, glaring at her younger sister and her childhood friend.

"Really, I can't believe the two of you!" Satsuki huffed, crossing her arms which made her still-growing chest elevate even more. "Who stays up all night playing video games, knowing that the next day was a school day?"

The other two raised their hands stupidly, earning whacks on their heads by the annoyed girl.

"If we're late, I'm blaming you two!" Satsuki wailed. "It's the _first day_ of _middle school_! Start being more responsible, you two!"

Natsuki and Daiki looked at each other and shrugged, grins on their faces. "Who needs school?"

"That's because the only thing in your heads is basketball!" Satsuki sighed, dragging them once more when the light turned green. "If you're not goofing off or playing video games, all you do is play basketball! Seriously! It's as if you'll be marrying basketball soon, and –"

Natsuki and Daiki sighed and let themselves be dragged, fearful of what the terrifying pinkette could do to them, as said pinkette nagged along the way.

.,.,.,.

Once they arrived at Teiko Middle School's gates, they saw a large crowd of students shouting various things like 'Join the chess club!' or 'Don't believe those baseball-playing hooligans! If you're searching for a club, the music club is the best one to go to!'. It amused Natsuki how the senpais were desperate for new members.

"I'll be separating from you guys, here. I have some stuff I need to attend to." Natsuki said, slipping away from her sister's grasp.

"What, no! You might cut class!" Satsuki berated her twin, who was clearly influenced greatly by her ganguro friend.

"I won't, geez," Natsuki said. "I just need to find something."

"Well, be quick about it." Satsuki sighed. Couldn't her twin sister be more like her, and actually focus on studying for once? She supposed that despite the fact that they were twins, they had a lot of differences. Study habits, for one.

"'kay, thanks. Bye," Natsuki said, separating from the two.

When she was a considerable distance away from them, Daiki attempted to follow the younger sibling, but felt a hand on his shoulder. He froze. He could feel the killing intent – and it was strong.

" _And where are you going?_ " Satsuki asked, an innocent smile on her face, with a background of death behind her.

"Nowhere!" Daiki shouted abruptly. "I was… I… was heading to class…! Yes, that's it!"

Satsuki raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… is that so?"

Daiki nodded quickly, fearing for his life.

Damn. She might end up making him bentos again.

The very thought of it made him shudder, earning a questioning look from his companion.

His face turned green.

.,.,.,.

Natsuki sighed in relief when her sister went away. She knew Satsuki would nag at her the whole day for this, but what was life without risks?

She stepped out of the bush she was hiding in and walked towards a certain table located near her. As she walked there, she bumped into someone, making her squeak in surprise as she fell on her butt.

"Sorry…" she groaned as her butt ached. _Gah… if Satsuki finds out about this, I'm screwed._

"I apologize, as well," the person she bumped said. But when she looked up, no one was there.

 _Huh? What…?_

Natsuki didn't see anyone, so who the heck did she bump into? She sighed and was about to stand, but found a hand held out in front of her.

"Oi, get up."

She held it gratefully and stood up to see – _Oh. My. Gosh._

Standing in front of her was a boy, probably a second or third year. He had black hair and black eyes, he was tall, and _damn_.

A blush formed slightly on Natsuki's cheeks, but it went away rather quickly. "Ah, thank you, senpai. Sorry about that."

He shrugged. "It's fine."

"Well, I have to go now. See you around, senpai!" Natsuki said, waving at him before leaving. Then, a thought came to her, and she stopped. She turned around and saw the senpai walking away. "Senpai!"

He turned around, an eyebrow raised.

"Ah, do you know where I can get sign-up forms for the basketball club?"

Her question startled him slightly, and it was shown through the slight widening of his eyes. He tilted his head thoughtfully at the girl. Was she planning to join as a manager?

"I was just heading over there, so you could tag along, if you want," he replied.

Natsuki felt like squealing, but held it in. Daiki would _so_ tease her about this once he hears of it. "Alright, senpai."

So they walked towards the stand for the basketball team, where a few more senpais were. Three senpais were handing out flyers a few steps away from the stand.

"Nijimura, hitting on first years already? She's quite the catch," a brown-haired senpai said, winking at her playfully.

The senpai she was with, Nijimura, scowled. "I could say the same to you, Ryuzaki-senpai. But she's here to get sign-up forms."

Ryuzaki looked at the girl. "You want to be a manager?"

She bit her lip. "I'm not really sure about being a manager, senpai, but I've thought about it a few times. I, uh, hope you don't mind if I get two of those sign-up forms."

He nodded and handed her two papers. "Who're you giving the other one to?"

"My friend," Natsuki replied. "He's really good at basketball, and I know he's been planning to join."

"Alright," Ryuzaki said. "When you're done with those, bring them after school to the third string's gym, okay?"

She nodded. "Thank you, senpai."

Ryuzaki shrugged. "It's no problem."

"Thank you, too, Nijimura-senpai." Natsuki told the black haired boy shyly. Said boy nodded and she went her way.

.,.,.,.

"Kazehaya."

"Here!"

"Kurumi."

"Here!"

"Momoi."

Two girls blinked at the same time, and spoke in unison, "Which one?"

The teacher was surprised and double-checked her list. _Ah, twins_. "Momoi Natsuki."

"Here," Natsuki drawled out.

"Momoi Satsuki."

"Here!" was the ever cheerful reply of her sister.

Once the teacher was finished, she informed them of their class schedule, and then left as the class waited for their Math teacher.

"Ugh, Math…" Natsuki's seatmate, a boy with dirty blond hair, groaned. "I got in here because I made up for my Math grades with my Chemistry and Biology grades… _Math_ …"

Natsuki let out a short laugh at the boy. "I could help ya with Math if you help me with Biology. Fair trade?"

The boy nodded eagerly. "You have saved my soul."

"And you have saved my sanity," Natsuki said. "I wasn't listening when our sensei was confirming our attendance, so what's your name?"

"Higurashi Kazuto," he replied. "What about you? Sorry, I wasn't listening as well."

Natsuki shrugged. "Eh, it's fine. I'm Momoi Natsuki."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Momoi-san."

"You can drop the formalities, you know, Higurashi-kun." Natsuki said with a grin.

"Only if you drop it, too, Natsuki-chan."

"Alright, Kazuto-kun."

.,.,.,.

Once it was lunch, Kazuto offered Natsuki a seat with some of his friends, which she agreed to once Kazuto got Satsuki's approval.

At the cafeteria, she spotted two boys, both with red hair.

"Natsuki-chan, this is Kinoshita Daichi," Kazuto pointed to the boy with green eyes, "and this is Kinoshita Riku," he pointed to the boy with blue eyes. "They might look like twins, but they're actually cousins."

"I'm Momoi Natsuki, Kazuto-kun's classmate. Nice to meet you, both." Natsuki said as Kazuto sat down, dragging her beside him.

"Did he hit on you, Momoi-san?" Riku asked her.

Kazuto blushed and whacked his head, as Natsuki shook her head. "Nah."

Daichi nodded approvingly. "You seem like a good person."

"Thanks, Kinoshita-kun." Natsuki said.

He waved a hand at her. "Calling us 'Kinoshita' would make it confusing. You could call us by our first names."

"Alright. You could do the same for me, too, Daichi-kun, Riku-kun." Natsuki said.

"You have a could-be twin?" Riku asked.

"More like a legit twin," Natsuki smiled.

"Yeah, even our sensei got confused at first, since she thought that there was only one Momoi in class. Guess she was surprised that we had two of 'em." Kazuto said.

Natsuki had just finished eating her lunch when someone called out to her. "Natsu!"

She turned her head to the left and saw Daiki coming towards her. He saw her with the three boys and pouted. "Natsu, I thought you'd sit with us."

"Sorry, Dai." Natsu apologized. "But I have the one you asked for. It's in my bag, and we should fill it out once class ends. I could do it for you if you walk her home."

Daiki looked like he didn't want to do it, but hell. He'd do it, anyways, if only to get what he needed. "I'll take you up on that. Fine, I'll walk her home, but you'd better do it, Natsu!"

"I will, you blueberry." Natsuki said as Daiki pouted even more.

"Don't call me that, you… you… you orange!" Daiki retorted comically.

. . .

Natsuki laughed. "Can't come up with a better insult?"

Daiki huffed. "I'm coming back for you after school!"

"Got it!" she said as he left.

"Who was that, Natsuki-chan?" Riku asked her curiously.

"My sister's childhood friend," Natsuki replied. "His name's Aomine Daiki."

"Just your 'sister's childhood friend'? You guys seem close enough, though." Kazuto pointed out politely.

Natsuki shrugged. "I would call him my friend, but really, my first description of him would be more appropriate. For now, at least."

The three boys looked at her, before shrugging. It wasn't their business.

 **.,.,.,.**

 **REPLIES TO REVIEWS:**

 **Dante96:** Thank you so much for being my first reviewer! Thanks a bunch! Natsuki is Momoi's younger twin. I'm not sure if you can classify them as identical or fraternal, but they look the same except for their hair color and eye color.

 **Akashicchi-ssu:** I just edited a photo of Momoi in the wiki for my cover :P I'm not that great at drawing, so I thought 'Eh. I'll just edit it. They're twins after all'.

 **Human Marshmallow:** Yup, you guessed it right!

 **Guest (Jul 25):** Thanks! To be honest, this story came to me when I was trying to figure out how to answer an essay question in a quiz of ours. :PP

 **Guest (Jul 26):** At present, yeah, she is. But for the first few/several chapters, they'll be in Teiko, since those chapters are 'flashback' chapters.

 **Guest (Jul 29):** Can't really answer your second question ;) I don't want to spoil anything yet, sorry. But it's nice to hear your shipping ^^

 **Unknownher:** Well, here it is! Sorry for the long wait. Thank you for liking this!

 **Akatsuki:** Really? That's nice to hear! Thank you!

 **.,.,.,.**

 **Me: I hope you guys like this chapter as much as you liked the prologue! And I'm sorry for the late update. It's just that… our teachers scheduled deadlines for projects on the exam week itself, and assigned those projects just a few days before the exam week, so it's been quite tiring, and my friends and I have pulled so many all-nighters for that.**

 **But now, since it's our sem-break (which is really just nine measly days), I could probably get more chapters finished, so expect a faster update.**

 **See you next time!**

 **P.S.: I just realized that my Natsuki sounds like the name of my Oc (Natsumi) in my other story. I guess I have something with the name 'Natsu'. I blame Natsu from Fairy Tail for this.**


	3. Teiko Arc 2

**Me: Are you guys kidding me? Thirty plus favorites and forty plus follows?! You're amazing! Thank you so much, guys! I really didn't expect my story to get this much love and attention, haha! Really, thank you so much.**

 **And, sorry for the wait. What with dance practice and all…**

 **But! Here is Chapter 2. Enjoy!**

 **~Teiko Arc~**

 **Chapter 2**

True to her word, Natsuki had filled out the sign-up forms for her and Aomine, but she was still contemplating whether or not to join as a manager or as a player. She was confident in her skills for both positions, and was willing to join even if she didn't make it into the worshipped first string.

Natsuki sighed as the bell rang. What to do, oh, what to do…

"What's gotten you so bummed out? Was it our Biology lesson?" Kazuto asked her with an amused grin, but she didn't return it.

"Should I or should I not…?" he heard her mutter under her breath as she gazed at the floor with distant eyes.

"Huh?" Kazuto let out, tilting his head to the side as he observed his new friend. _What's up with her all of a sudden?_

"You know what, I'll just ask him!" she smacked her fist on top of the palm of her other hand, and had a victorious look on her face, as if she had solved one of the world's greatest mysteries.

"Natsuki-chan, are you okay?" Kazuto asked her, worried for her mental health.

She grinned at him and nodded. "I just saved my head from blowing up!"

"…Okay?"

Before he could let out another word, she waved at him and dashed out of the classroom, forms and bag in hand.

"Hey, Natsuki-chan, you—" he tried to call out but she was long gone. He sighed as he picked up a fallen notebook, eyes widening at its contents.

He then shook his head and closed the notebook, placing it carefully in his bag. If he left it under her desk, some people could have seen. He had to give it back to her.

He then told himself that he would not look at that notebook ever again. He would respect her privacy.

.,.,.,.,.

At the basketball gym…

"Alright, line up!"

Nijimura's order was responded to immediately, as all the sweaty, hopeful students, including several first years, lined up in three to four lines. They had just finished the try-outs and were now awaiting the results. Among them were people whose hair colors were in the rainbow, such as Akashi Seijuuro, Midorima Shintaro, Aomine Daiki, and Murasakibara Atsushi. Red, Green, Blue, and Purple… and – hold on. Was that a girl?

Natsuki was standing next to Nijimura and tapped his shoulder. He raised an eyebrow at her as she asked, "Senpai, are girls allowed on the team?"

He shook his head. "Not _this_ team. In others schools, maybe, but in Teiko, it's only for guys. Why do you ask?"

"Oh…" Natsuki muttered as she pouted, writing something down in her form and handing it to him. "Well, then, senpai, if that's the case, I would very much like to be your manager, if that's alright with you?"

Nijimura stared at her curiously before shrugging. "Alright, but you have to earn your spot. For today, you'll be taking notes on second-string members. We'll see what happens next after Coach Shirogane and Coach Sanada look at your work."

Natsuki nodded as she sat on the bleachers, waving at Aomine as she walked by.

"—and for the first string! Akashi Seijuuro, Aomine Daiki, Midorima Shintaro, Murasakibara Atsushi, and Haizaki Shogo!" announced Sanada Naoto, the assistant coach and the coach of the second string. "That is all. Congratulations on making it to the first string. For the rest of you, there's always next time."

As disappointed groans came from those who did not even make it into the third string, they exited the gym which tired faces. Natsuki then gave Aomine a smile, and they high-fived each other.

"Good job, Dai," she told him as he grinned.

"Thanks! I can't believe I made it into the first string!" he laughed. "Basketball's so much fun!"

She nodded, agreeing with him as Nijimura cleared his throat.

"Momoi-san, it's time. Allow me to escort you to the second-string's gym," he said.

"Well, see you later, Dai!" she told the bluenette, who promised to walk her home. She then walked out of the gym with Nijimura, a little giddy because she got to be with senpai.

"Senpai, what kind of notes would you be expecting from me?" she asked him curiously.

Nijimura shrugged. "There's no specific format for it. Take note on whatever you feel like."

It was a vague answer, and Natsuki had a feeling that it was on purpose. To be the manager, you just had to _know_ things, ranging from the players' choice in drinks, to their shirt sizes, to their weaknesses and habits. She was confident that she could take note of all of these.

Otherwise, what other purpose could she have?

They made it to the gym in no time and Nijimura led her to a brown haired man in a suit – Coach Sanada. He wore a stern expression on his face, his glasses resting on the bridge of his nose.

"Momoi Natsuki, correct?" he asked her as she nodded. "What is your purpose for being a manager?"

"Was it not written on the form, sir?" she asked him respectfully.

"I will ask you again. What is your purpose for being a manager?" he reiterated.

Natsuki felt a little annoyed, but replied nevertheless. "I want to be a manager because I love basketball, and at the same time, to watch over my friend. I also like being the reason why people achieve greater heights. Pardon the narcissism."

He studied her for a minute before nodding. "You have seen me before, but I am Sanada Naoto, the assistant coach. You will be taking notes on some of the players today, and I am expecting them to be of help."

Natsuki nodded. "I won't disappoint."

Sanada regarded her for a while before turning to the stretching players. "There will be a practice match between you all today, all one-on-ones. Akihisa, Watanabe, you're first. Start strategizing. You will start in a minute."

He then turned to Nijimura, saying, "And Nijimura? You may return to the first string now."

Nijimura nodded, glancing at Natsuki. "Good luck, first year." Then, he left.

Natsuki fought back a grin as she stared at his retreating back. _Senpai told me that? Senpai told me that! Kyaa~_

She then reached into her bag and pulled out a pen. She then searched for her notebook – _the_ notebook, but it wasn't there. She panicked inwardly. _Oh, no. Oh no oh no oh no, what if somebody finds it and sees what's inside?!_

"Excuse me, Coach Sanada?"

A familiar voice alerted her to Kazuto's presence, who was standing by the entrance of the gym, her notebook in his hands.

"What is it?" Sanada asked him.

"I'd like to give this back to Natsuki-chan, if you don't mind. It's her notebook, and I thought it'd be best to give it back to her as soon as possible." Kazuto said, gesturing to the notebook he had.

Sanada nodded. "Make it quick."

"Thank you." Kazuto said, bowing as he then walked over to Natsuki, whose fingers twitched. He handed it to her and she took it back, hugging it protectively.

"What did you see?" she asked him quietly, almost as though she was afraid of his reaction.

He pursed his lips. "We can talk about this later, you know, or maybe even tomorrow. Focus on your thing."

She then nodded. "Thank you for bringing it back…"

"My pleasure," Kazuto told her, heading out of the gym.

 _Did… did he see?_

Sanada coughed to get her attention. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, taking a seat on the bleachers, opening her notebook to a blank page, her pen ready in her hands. She would worry about Kazuto later. "Yeah."

Sanada then gave the referee a look, who announced to the two players that the match was going to begin. He threw the ball up and the match began.

.,.,.,.,.

Sanada observed the girl on the bleachers, wondering if she was worthy of being the manager. He could see her watching the match and the players intently, quickly taking down notes every now and then. He could see her calculating gaze and the amusement on her face. The latter he wondered about.

He could see her absorbing every little detail, and he found that trait of hers rather likeable. It was an ideal trait as a manager. However, it was the content of her notes that counted.

And when the match ended with Akihisa winning, he saw her holding back a smile. _Did she anticipate this_ , he wondered.

She then headed over to him, handing him her notebook. He read through her notes, eyes widening at what it contained. Every single detail was here. There were unnecessary comments ('Watanabe looks like Elvis Presley' or even 'Akihisa has nice eyes') on the sides, true, but the main details were _good_. She had even arranged it into tables as she wrote, almost as if she had already prepared these tables beforehand.

She had notes on their habits, their strengths, their areas of improvement, their stamina ratings, and hell, even the number of times they tended to use certain shots. There was even a list of recommendations on what those two could do in order to get better and get rid of unnecessary habits.

Sanada approved of her. "I see your worth. Follow me."

Confused, she followed him out of the gym, wondering where they were going.

.,.,.,.,.

They had reached the first-string gym and entered it, with Natsuki wondering why they were here.

Inside, she saw five people doing drills, and she recognized those people as the four first years and the lone second year who were called to be a part of it.

"Hi, Natsu!" Aomine greeted her cheerfully, as he weaved through the cones placed on the ground.

She waved back at him as she and Sanada approached a man with light gray hair wearing a dark colored business suit. He was overseeing the drills with Nijimura.

"Ah, Sanada, what brings you here?" he greeted the man Natsuki was with. "And, who are you?"

Before she could introduce herself, Sanada had said, "Coach Shirogane, I believe that she is the manager you are looking for."

Shirogane and Natsuki raised their eyebrows at that.

Shirogane then turned to the orange haired girl. "Is that so? What proof do you have?"

Sanada then showed him her notes. Shirogane, just like Sanada, was surprised by the content.

"These… are very detailed notes, young lady." Shirogane chuckled. "Very well. You are now the first string's manager. Be proud of yourself."

Natsuki grinned. "Yes, sir, I'll do my best! This is a little late, but I'm Momoi Natsuki, at your service!"

"And I am Coach Shirogane. It is a pleasure to meet you," he told her, as he then nodded towards Nijimura.

"Alright, that's enough for day!" he called out to everyone. Akashi and Midorima panted slightly as they stopped, while Murasakibara, Aomine, and Haizaki dropped dead to the floor. Nijimura rolled his eyes at the three twitching bodies. "Tch, newbies…"

Coach Shirogane chuckled as he dismissed them, heading out with Sanada. "We'll see you next time, then. Oh, and congratulations on making it here, all of you."

Natsuki then grinned and cheered as she headed over to Aomine. "Dai, did you hear that? I'm the manager now!"

Aomine mustered up enough energy to give her a thumbs up and a muffled 'Congratulations' before proceeding to snore loudly.

Natsuki chuckled at him and patted his hair. "Good job, Dai."

Unknown to her, she had attracted the attentions of Akashi, Midorima, and Nijimura, who found her to be interesting. Akashi headed towards her, making her look up at him.

"Hello, Momoi-san. I am Akashi Seijuuro, please take care of me." Akashi greeted her with a polite smile, a hand extended to her.

She stood up and smiled, shaking his hand. "I'm Momoi Natsuki. It's a pleasure."

She glanced at the green haired boy, who scoffed and pushed his glasses up further, his hand shielding his face.

"I am Midorima Shintaro," he said. "If I may ask, what is your Zodiac sign, Momoi-san?"

"I'm a Taurus," she replied.

He perked up at that, moving closer to her and shaking her hand. "I see. We are highly compatible then. Let us get along well from now on."

"Oh? Does this mean that you watch Oha-Asa, too?" she asked him.

When she had spoken the words 'Oha-Asa', she surprised him, but at the same time, awoken Aomine.

"Don't start convincing people to watch that ridiculous show!" he whined at her, earning him death stares from both her and Midorima.

"What did you say?" they asked him venomously.

As he shrieked and hid under the bleachers, Natsuki grinned at Midorima. "It seems that we _are_ getting along."

"Indeed," he agreed.

"Dai, come on and stop shaking! We have to get home for dinner, don't we?" Natsuki called out to him. "Do you _want_ her to cook?"

That seemed to snap him out of it as he shook his head. "No way! Come on, let's go!"

He then proceeded to drag her out of the gym, as she shouted, "It was nice meeting you, Akashi-kun, Midorima-kun!"

They needed to get to her house as soon as possible. Like hell were they letting Satsuki cook tonight.

 **.,.,.,.,.**

 **Me: Sorry for updating really late! School caught up to me, and I decided to post this earlier than the date I gave because you guys really deserve faster updates. Sorry, again!**

 **Thank you for all the support, though. Seeing my story's stats made me feel happy!**

 **Review please and see you soon!**


	4. Teiko Arc 3

**Me: I was really surprised to see many people enjoying the story! Thank you so much for the 40+ faves and 70+ (!) followers, not to mention the awesome reviews! I really didn't expect this much people to be enjoying my story, so thank you!**

 **School just ended a few days ago. I was really busy with all our projects (*shudder*) and our exams. To add to it, my dad's mad at me again (he always is whenever I get my report card) because apparently my grades aren't good enough. Well, sorry a 96% average isn't enough for you.**

 ***I also noticed that in the first chapter, I referred to Momoi and Aomine by their first names and in the second chapter, by their last names. I tend to switch between them, since the way I write is a little, ugh, different. There are times when I'm trying to write in Natsuki's mind, and times when it's in my perspective, and there are times when I tend to combine those two. Sorry if it bothers you!**

 **Ahem, nevertheless, here's the next chapter!**

 **~Teiko Arc~**

 **Chapter 3**

She was a little terrified, to be honest. It wasn't the kind where a kid wouldn't dare peek under his bed in fear of a monster lurking beneath – it was the kind where she just _knew_ Kazuto would think differently of her. She was scared of losing a friend.

"Ugh, why did he have to see it? Why was I stupid enough to leave it?" Natsuki muttered dejectedly as she walked to school. Satsuki and Daiki had walked ahead for some reason – she knew because they had left her a note.

" _Oh, Natsuki-chan, Satsuki-chan already left with Daiki-kun. She left a note here. Honestly, I thought you walked with them to school?"_

That was what her mother told her the moment she had woken up. Her fist clenched at the memory. Her eye twitched and she inhaled sharply.

She would have to control her emotions.

Walking to school alone was not a problem for her. It never was. It just hurt that—

She shook her head.

 _Enough of that. I'm going to school happy. I won't let it bring me down._

But even she knew that she was just lying to herself.

She looked up and saw that she had reached the school gates. She frowned and stepped inside, only to stop when someone had poked her on the sides, making her give out a small squeal.

"You ticklish there?" Daichi laughed as Riku, who was next to him, joined in.

She huffed, glaring at them playfully. "Meanies."

"Only when we want to be," Kazuto, who was right behind them, added with a smirk.

Natsuki rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go, or else we'll be late."

"Yes, ma'am."

 _She was happy he didn't bring it up. At least, not in front of them._

 _She didn't want anyone else to know._

.,.,.,.,.

It was lunch time when she and Kazuto decided to talk to each other. The bell had just rung when he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her all the way to the rooftop. She knew he just wanted to talk, and so she let herself be dragged. (To her classmates, it was the start of a love confession, if the numerous wolf-whistles and catcalls were enough of a hint.)

They stopped in the middle of the cemented roof, barricaded on all sides by white railings tall enough to prevent them from falling, but small enough for them to enjoy the view. He was standing in front of her, his back facing her. She stood behind him, unsure of what to say. The notebook was in her hands, and she unconsciously clutched it tightly.

"I know—"

"It's just—"

They had spoken at the same time, and both of them had tensed. Natsuki kept her mouth shut, waiting for him to speak. She heard him inhale sharply before saying, "I don't care."

She raised her right eyebrow. "Pardon?"

He sighed, running his hands through her hair. "I really don't care, okay? Whatever you wrote in that notebook… I don't care. It doesn't matter to me what you really feel about… I'm sorry for seeing it."

He was rambling – and nervous. She could tell, and it made her tilt her lips upwards. She was so tempted to giggle, but it wasn't appropriate.

"I just… well—"

"It's ok," she cut him off. He looked at her with a curious look as she continued. "To be honest, I'm happy it was you who had seen it and not someone else."

"Why do you say that? We've only known each other for a while. I'm not as close to you as Aomine-san," he said, slapping himself mentally when she averted her eyes to the ground. He was stupid. "Sorry."

"It's fine," she said. "And although what you said is true, I trust you – not to tell, at least. You'll keep it to yourself, won't you?"

She still wasn't looking at him, so he walked towards her and placed a hand on her head, tilting her head upwards so that she was looking straight at him.

"I promise. I won't tell anyone. I'll bring it to the grave."

She didn't know if it was his sincere words or the determined look in his eyes, but she knew she could really trust him. What she also knew was that his face was definitely, definitely pink.

 _She was happy he was her friend._

 _She was happy he didn't mind._

.,.,.,.,.

"So, are you guys dating now or what?" It was an innocent question from Daichi, accompanied by a curious look from Riku. "The whole class has been talking about it."

"Well, you could have made our exit a little less dramatic…" Natsuki mumbled to Kazuto, who scratched the back of his head nervously, saying, "True. I wasn't thinking at the time, haha."

"You never do," Riku rolled his eyes, ignoring the 'Hey!' from Kazuto. "So, are you?"

Kazuto and Natsuki both shook their heads.

"S/he's not my type," they said in unison, chuckling when they realized that they had.

Daichi and Riku looked at them with critical gazes before shrugging and turning to their Math homeworks.

"Speaking of Math…" Natsuki began with wide eyes. "Kazuto-kun, did _you_ do your Math homework?"

His face was blank, as he processed the words she had said. Math. Homework. His eyes widened so quickly as he dashed to his seat, grabbing his bag and scrambling for a piece of paper and his textbook. "I forgot to do it!"

Natsuki sighed, laughing quietly. She had expected that to happen, given the first words she had heard from him a while back. Math definitely was not his thing, as proven by their various seatworks.

" _It's not my fault! I'm terrified of numbers!" he had wailed. "I see them in my nightmares!"_

 _She had whacked his head with her Math notebook. "Unfortunately, you need those numbers to graduate. Also, haven't you noticed? Numbers are everywhere."_

 _He had this stupid look on his face as he panicked. "The grocery… my report card… my wallet… AGH! YOU'RE RIGHT! THEY'RE EVERYWHERE! NUMBERSSSSSSS! NOOOOOOOOO!"_

 _She had laughed out loud that day for the first time in a long time. It felt good._

She didn't notice that she had been staring at him this whole time, watching him frantically try to answer each problem before their sensei arrived. The only one who did notice was Riku, who let out a smirk and a small shake of his head when he noticed the orange-haired girl staring at their pitiful friend. He knew things would be getting interesting soon.

 _She didn't think too deeply on it._

 _They were only friends, right?_

.,.,.,.,.

When dismissal came, Kazuto stretched his arms and let out a happy cheer. "Yes! Math is finally over! Freedom!"

She held on to the cellphone in her pocket as she and her trio of friends walked towards Maji Burger. Her sister wouldn't mind. Of course, she wouldn't. She was always telling Natsuki to find more friends, that little hy—

Natsuki groaned, conflicted. She wanted oh so badly to just speak her mind, but she knew she couldn't. She didn't want anyone to know about her true feelings, but she knew that one day, she would just snap.

"What's up? Biology too rough for you?" Kazuto asked her curiously. Daichi and Riku were in front of them and talking about baseball as they walked across the pavement.

She nodded her head. It was a lie, but he didn't need to know. _She trusted him, but…_ "Yeah, a little. Memorizing all the organs, systems, processes, and hormones? Tough." _…she was still scared to see how he would be once he heard it out loud_.

"True. That's the same for me and all the _formulas_ ," he wailed animatedly. She chuckled, entering Maji Burger once they had reached it. They had chosen a table at the back, allowing them a little privacy, while Daichi waited in line to bring their others. Natsuki and Kazuto had chosen to sit on the couch, while Riku sat in the stool in front of them, eyeing them with a small smirk.

Natsuki, who had noticed, asked him, "What's up with you?"

Riku laughed. "Nothing. I'll go help Daichi. You two stay here."

He stood up and looked at them with an interested gleam in his eyes before walking towards his twin.

Natsuki and Kazuto blinked.

"I feel like I'm Sasuke or some lab rat and he's Orochimaru." Natsuki told her companion. "If Riku admits he's interested in snakes, I'm running away."

"Agreed." Kazuto said. "Wait, you know _Naruto_?"

"Duh, who doesn't?"

And that was how the twins found their two friends, arguing about the Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

"I'm telling you, he's _beautiful_ ," Natsuki sighed with a smile. "Haven't you seen his abs?"

"Please. He's an ass, that's what." Kazuto rolled his eyes as the twins set their trays on the table and sat down, munching on fries as the two continued debating.

"He's hot."

"He's a jerk."

"He's gorgeous."

"He's annoying."

"He's powerful."

"He's prejudiced."

"He's my boyfriend."

"He's – wait, what?"

"You heard me."

"I refuse."

"Excuse you. Since when did you have a say in who I was allowed to date?"

"J-Just because!"

The twins blinked as the exchange continued, sipping on their soft drinks simultaneously.

"Two hundred yen they'll end up together within the year," Riku told his brother without taking his eyes off of the two.

"Make that three hundred. I'll bet they end up within three months." Daichi smirked victoriously, looking at his brother with a competitive but amused glance.

"Deal." Riku smirked, looking straight at his brother.

.,.,.,.,.

Kazuto was walking her home. She giggled softly as she remembered how this even started in the first place.

 _They had finished their food and drinks and were looking outside contentedly. The silence was peaceful, allowing each other to delve into their private thoughts. It was, unfortunately, broken by the sound of Natsuki's cellphone ringing. Curious, she answered it and was greeted by a loud voice, "Na-chan! Where are you?"_

 _Natsuki tried not to sigh. "I'm at Maji Burger with my friends."_

" _Wah~ why didn't you tell me? Dai-chan and I could have tagged along!"_

 _She felt annoyed at that point, but tried not to show it to the two friends in front of her. Kazuto knew what she was probably feeling, and sent her a worried glance. "It's a… group project."_

" _Oh, ok! Well, you should get home now, you know? Mama's making your favorite!"_

 _She perked up slightly. "She's making omelets tonight?"_

" _Omelets? What are you talking about, silly? Haha! She's making a garden salad, of course!"_

 _She forced herself not to frown at that and sighed. "Right. I'll get going now. Bye, Satsuki."_

" _Bye-bye, Na-chan!"_

 _She pocketed her phone and released the sigh that she was holding back. She had lied in front of her friends. She was sure they knew that._

" _Er, I guess you need to get going now?" Daichi said with a small smile. "It's fine, you know. Kazuto will walk you back."_

" _He… will?" Natsuki let out._

" _I will?" Kazuto added._

" _You will." Riku told the boy, giving him an amused smile. "So get going, then. It's about time for me and Daichi to leave, anyways."_

 _Natsuki nodded. "Thanks, guys. Sorry about cutting this short, though."_

 _The twins shook their heads. "It's fine."_

 _She let out a smile, grateful that they were understanding, and grateful that they didn't ask or bring it up. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then. Bye!"_

" _Bye!" the twins said._

She truly was lucky to have found friends like them. Her eyes hardened slightly as she stared across the distance, where a streetlight was flickering ever so slightly.

 _She wouldn't share them._

She stopped when they had reached her house. Every light was turned on, except the one in her room. She could see the shadows of her parents and Satsuki in the dining room. _Garden salad, huh?_

"Thank you for walking me here, Kazuto-kun, despite being it against your will," she chuckled softly as the boy spluttered.

"I-Idiot! I'm not being forced to, geez. What's wrong with walking a friend home?" he pouted. "Ah, well. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah," Natsuki nodded. "Thanks, again. And get home safe!"

"No problem," he waved her off as he placed his hands in his pockets and walked off.

She smiled and shook her head as she went inside the house, only to be tackled by Satsuki instantly. "Satsuki!"

"Sorry, Na-chan! Haha!" Satsuki had told her without meaning it. "How was the project?"

"Fine," she responded, taking off her shoes. "Did you wait for me?"

"Sort of?" Satsuki chuckled as they entered the dining room. Inside, her parents were seated next to each other with plates full of salad.

Natsuki sat in front of her mother, while Satsuki sat next to her. "Itadakimasu." Picking up her chopsticks, she began eating her salad.

"Natsuki-chan, we've already talked to Satsuki about this while waiting…" her mother began. "Your father and I are going on another business trip and will be returning in two weeks if it goes smoothly."

Natsuki blinked as her parents were waiting for her reaction to it. She gave none. "It's fine. Be safe."

If her parents were surprised, they didn't show it.

"Be good girls, won't you?" her father told them. "We'll be leaving behind some money for you to use in those two weeks, and we've filled up the refrigerator."

Natsuki simply nodded, already knowing what to do. Her parents' business trips were frequent and took a long time, so she was used to not having them around at home most of the time. "Alright."

Once she had finished, she had excused herself and went inside her room, only to find that her sister had followed her and had jumped on her bed.

"Satsuki, did you need anything?" Natsuki asked her sister, as she sat on the chair in front of her desk, looking at her sister with a raised eyebrow.

"By any chance, are you dating that boy I saw earlier?" Satsuki had asked her with a mischievous look.

Natsuki was not amused. "I'm not. He's a friend. Why do you always assume that every boy I associate with is my boyfriend?"

She had made an extra effort to make the question seem curious rather than annoyed. It wouldn't do for her sister to get all sad tonight. She wasn't in the mood for it.

"No reason, hehe!" Satsuki giggled. "Oh, and don't wait up for me tomorrow, okay?"

She tilted her head to the side. "You going somewhere?"

Satsuki nodded her head excitedly. "Dai-chan and I are going to the amusement park nearby! Isn't that great? You and your friends can come too, if you like!"

And although Satsuki seemed eager for her to come along, she knew that Satsuki also had a part of her wanting Natsuki to stay home. Natsuki shrugged. "Nah, it's fine."

Satsuki smiled. "Ok, that's all! Night!"

She then ran out of the room, giggling, and Natsuki stared at the open door with a frown on her face.

 _She was happy she had friends who understood._

 _She was happy they were_ _ **her**_ _friends and not anyone else's._

 _She would never share them._

 _And a garden salad? Really?_

 _It wasn't even her favorite food._

 **.,.,.,.,.**

 **Me: And that's it for now. The next chapter will be an interlude, yay! So, maybe I should explain this chapter?**

 **Natsuki's only friends at Teiko, so far, are the trio: Kazuto, Daichi, and Riku. Like any normal person, there's a small selfish part in her that doesn't want to share them with anyone else, especially since she views them as important people in her life, despite just meeting them recently. The thing about the notebook that she discussed with Kazuto and Natsuki's personality and 'backstory' will be explained later on throughout the chapters.**

 **On that note, I'll be typing up interludes every now and then, so whose interlude would you want to see? Choices are:**

 **Kazuto**

 **Daichi**

 **Riku**

 **Tell me what you think in a review! I'll see you guys around April 29 or May 7! Bai~!**


	5. Interlude 1: Kazuto

**Me: Thanks for the faves and follows! I was really happy when I saw them, and I'm hoping to reach 100 follows soon, haha!**

 **Here's the next update, and I'm sorry for not uploading my other story,** _ **How to Save a Life**_ **, for quite a while. I need to watch Kuroko no Basuke episodes for that one, but my DVD's with my cousin, who forgot to return it before leaving for London. I also couldn't watch them here because the Wi-Fi's kind of slow, especially when it rains.**

 **Ahem.**

 **I now present this story's first interlude!**

 **.,.,.,.,.**

 **Interlude 1: Kazuto**

His mother was a biologist – a kind, patient, and hardworking woman who loved him a lot. She wasn't a person who showed her affection physically, but she worked long hours each day to get some money for the two them. To be more specific, she was a biologist currently working as an aide to get some experience. She had just graduated from college – she was only thirty-one years old – after years of specializing in Biology. Thus, her pay wasn't as high as they had hoped for, but it still kept them well-fed and clothed.

(His father? He could care less about the man that left his mother alone after getting her pregnant)

It was for that very reason that Kazuto was determined to study harder and graduate with honors – hopefully, as valedictorian. When the time came, he would work his way up in whatever company that would take him in and with his salary, he would take care of his mother in exchange for everything she was doing for him. He would work for _her_ this time.

Of course, he couldn't really achieve his goal if he couldn't pass one of the major subjects – Math, that is. Ask him to tell you the first twenty elements in the periodic table? Sure. Ask him to list down all biomes and where they can be found? No problem. Ask him to give you solutions in solving quadratic equations? No thanks.

It wasn't really his fault. Numbers just overwhelmed him. Not to mention the fact that he really couldn't grasp all those concepts and theories from the way his teachers explained it. Asking help from his Mom was something he would rather not do – she would be home late and too tired to help. He didn't want to bother her.

"Ugh, Math…" he groaned out loud. It would be their first subject, and he must really have bad luck if his worst subject was the first subject. "I got in here because I made up for my Math grades with my Chemistry and Biology grades… _Math_ …"

He had grown up learning general knowledge about certain Science areas, so he could easily deal with those, but he really didn't know what he would do about his situation in Math.

He then heard a short angelic laugh coming from his seatmate, an orange haired girl with light orange eyes. "I could help ya with Math if you help me with Biology. Fair trade?"

His eyes widened slightly. Were his prayers truly answered? He nodded eagerly. If she really could help him, she'd be helping him achieve his goal, and he was thankful for that. "You have saved my soul."

"And you have saved my sanity," she said. "I wasn't listening when our sensei was confirming our attendance, so what's your name?"

"Higurashi Kazuto," he replied. It was fine for him. He did the same thing, too, since he was busy moping about Math. "What about you? Sorry, I wasn't listening as well."

She shrugged casually. "Eh, it's fine. I'm Momoi Natsuki."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Momoi-san."

"You can drop the formalities, you know, Higurashi-kun," she said with a grin.

"Only if you drop it, too, Natsuki-chan."

"Alright, Kazuto-kun."

Classes passed by in the blink of an eye. He felt hopeless in Math, but with Natsuki's help, he understood the lesson better. Of course, he couldn't answer the harder questions, but he had done well in the basics, so it was good enough for him. Once it was lunch, he offered Natsuki a seat with some of his friends, which she agreed to once he had gotten her sister's approval. He then led her to a table where his friends, the twins, were.

"Natsuki-chan, this is Kinoshita Daichi," he pointed to the boy with green eyes, "and this is Kinoshita Riku," he pointed to the boy with blue eyes. "They might look like twins, but they're actually cousins."

He had known them in grade school. They weren't close friends, but they had been polite classmates. It was only when he saw them early in the morning that they decided to stick together, seeing as how they were already familiar with each other.

"I'm Momoi Natsuki, Kazuto-kun's classmate. Nice to meet you, both." Natsuki said as he sat down, dragging her beside him.

"Did he hit on you, Momoi-san?" Riku asked her.

He blushed and whacked his head, as Natsuki shook her head. What was Riku thinking? _Sure she's cute, but that doesn't'—I mean to say… ugh! Stupid Riku!_

"Nah."

In the end, Daichi and Riku liked her, so he figured that they would become good friends one day.

When a certain Aomine Daiki came over, he wondered why she wouldn't admit that she was friends with him, that he was only her sister's childhood friend to her. It wasn't until he had picked up her notebook that he understood.

He didn't mean to read it. The words just pulled him in: _I hate how she always tries to—._ He inhaled sharply, closing the notebook and sighing. He wasn't going to read it. He respected her privacy and decided to return it to her.

Once he got home, he plopped down on his bed and wondered about the words in the notebook. He could see why she felt that way, but, _Natsuki-chan should really speak out more, otherwise, no one would know how she really feels._ He then fell asleep, wondering how to reassure the girl that he wouldn't judge her.

Reassure her he did. He told her what he really felt about it – how he didn't care about how she felt towards her situation, because all that mattered to him was his relationship with her and how her personal problems would never come in the way of their friendship, because it didn't matter to him. It didn't matter at all. He wanted her to realize that.

And by the way she looked at him that day, his heart rate sped up as he felt his cheeks grow warm. It was only a few days of knowing her, but he started to take much more notice of her hair, her smile, everything.

(He would look back on this day a few years from now and laugh)

And when he walked her home after their trip to Maji Burger, he knew something was bothering her, but he wouldn't pry. She would tell him when she felt like it.

He walked back home once he dropped her off at her place, stopping by a lamp post when a thought struck him. Groaning, he banged his head on the post.

"Goddamit, I think I actually like her."

 **.,.,.,.,.**

 **Me: Yeah, kind of short, I know, hehe. Sorry about that. Ehm, next chapter will probably focus on Teiko's practice match against some random school to test out the first years, and maybe, just maybe, I'll add some drama in it.**

 **I promise to update** _ **How To Save A Life**_ **soon, haha, and I'll be adding a new section in it focusing on Natsumi and Kasamatsu's school days, how they met and whatnot.**

 **See you next time! (Maybe on June 10, because school here starts on the 13** **th** **)**


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